(16 May 2021, 11:16 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Nope. That’s literally the opposite point.
Nexus secured services will never make commercial sense, ever, they are public service requirements. If they made cash or even had the vague possibility of turning a profit, then an operator would be there.
You see, I disagree. On the most part, you are correct, but we have seen success stories come of secured services in the past.
Go North East took the formerly Stagecoach-operated 5/5A Nexus services in Sunderland on commercially, after requesting passenger data for these services. Granted a lot of the passengers on these services around The Docks are elderly and have an ENCTS pass, but enough of those still adds up for the service to stand up on their own feet.
These services will never be high-profile and high-frequency routes, but they may get to a stage where they can turn a profit with a bit of a push.
You could argue that the onus isn’t on Nexus to promote and grow these services and as the local authority they are just maintaining socially necessary bus links, and that the onus is on bus operators (whether that be the existing operator running it under contract to Nexus, or an operator that wishes to take a punt).
Some of the Nexus services run through some very densely populated areas - some of them are areas where you’d expect high bus usage, council or those up to a certain value - although admittedly not all. It’s the type of the former where there’s probably more chance of something ever potentially being commercially viable.
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(17 May 2021, 5:01 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]You see, I disagree. On the most part, you are correct, but we have seen success stories come of secured services in the past.
Go North East took the formerly Stagecoach-operated 5/5A Nexus services in Sunderland on commercially, after requesting passenger data for these services. Granted a lot of the passengers on these services around The Docks are elderly and have an ENCTS pass, but enough of those still adds up for the service to stand up on their own feet.
These services will never be high-profile and high-frequency routes, but they may get to a stage where they can turn a profit with a bit of a push.
You could argue that the onus isn’t on Nexus to promote and grow these services and as the local authority they are just maintaining socially necessary bus links, and that the onus is on bus operators (whether that be the existing operator running it under contract to Nexus, or an operator that wishes to take a punt).
Some of the Nexus services run through some very densely populated areas - some of them are areas where you’d expect high bus usage, council or those up to a certain value - although admittedly not all. It’s the type of the former where there’s probably more chance of something ever potentially being commercially viable.
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The 29 comes to mind, cant think of any others though.
(17 May 2021, 9:05 am)ASX_Terranova wrote [ -> ]The 29 comes to mind, cant think of any others though.
I purposely didn’t mention the 29, as a cynic would suggest Go North East only took that route on commercially to avoid Gateshead Central Taxis having a heavier presence within Gateshead, where the network is largely dominated by Go North East.
That was why I intentionally gave the example of a route operated by another company. But yes, the 29 is probably one of those. It’ll never be a majorly successful service but holds its own.
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So why did the North Tyneside network (Little Coasters) Go to GCT on an evening and Sunday
ahhh the 29. The first service of the day is run by GCT though. Is that the only secured run?
(17 May 2021, 11:47 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]ahhh the 29. The first service of the day is run by GCT though. Is that the only secured run?
The same 29 which when it was a fully secured service - ran with incorrect allocations (euro rating and/or capacity) at times and sometimes didn't run at all, leaving big gaps in service.
(17 May 2021, 12:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]The same 29 which when it was a fully secured service - ran with incorrect allocations (euro rating and/or capacity) at times and sometimes didn't run at all, leaving big gaps in service.
Did this happen commonly? Or as commonly as we find Nexus contracts nowadays running with incorrect allocations, or services being completely dropped?
(17 May 2021, 12:34 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Did this happen commonly? Or as commonly as we find Nexus contracts nowadays running with incorrect allocations, or services being completely dropped?
No idea how common it was. I didn't count.
Ditto I didn't count the number of times the 333 or other tendered services didn't run under various contracts.
Assuming records were maintained and submitted accurately then as they are now, then I'd hope there aren't too many stones being thrown about in those greenhouses.
Judging by the furore on a Birtley Facebook page the 23 is equally suffering the brunt of GCTs lax approach to erm…well running a service.
40 minute waits, multiple runs missed and unanswered complaints to nexus….
(18 May 2021, 11:20 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Judging by the furore on a Birtley Facebook page the 23 is equally suffering the brunt of GCTs lax approach to erm…well running a service.
40 minute waits, multiple runs missed and unanswered complaints to nexus….
Have you got a link to that?
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(18 May 2021, 11:47 pm)6049 wrote [ -> ]Have you got a link to that?
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I’m at work so can’t access Facebook but the group is called Birtley now and then.
if you search 23 it comes up
Question is,how long will it be before the GCT operated trips of GNE's Little Coasters go the same way?
Gct will take over the Little Coasters network. Do I want that. No as tons of people rely on these routes.
(19 May 2021, 12:26 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote [ -> ]Gct will take over the Little Coasters network. Do I want that. No as tons of people rely on these routes.
are all " little coaster" routes secured by nexus?
(19 May 2021, 12:29 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]are all " little coaster" routes secured by nexus?
Yea. 41/42/42A/19/11
Half of them got changed when gct took over evening and Sundays.
41 became a newer version of the old 40/41
42/42A got cut from North Shields and extend the 335 and the 42A got put back to serving Four Lane Ends
(19 May 2021, 12:29 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]are all " little coaster" routes secured by nexus?
Not in full. Only evening and Sunday journeys.
So in reality GCT could only really attempt to win the evening and Sunday contacts from GNE... they could take over the full running of GNE commercial parts of the route?
(19 May 2021, 1:33 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]So in reality GCT could only really attempt to win the evening and Sunday contacts from GNE... they could take over the full running of GNE commercial parts of the route?
More than likely if that did happen. Gct taking over them routes fully. I could see GNE taking and trying new routes to see if they would profit
It was just speculation anyway, from what ive pulled together in my head from other comments
Do Gateshead Central operate anything commercially? I'm not sure they've ever taken a stab at operating anything commercially. Their whole MO seems to me to be contracted services with the guaranteed income. Presumably with costs nailed firmly down judging by comments elsewhere about vehicle/driver/ticket machine shortages. Attempting to muscle in commercially certainly wouldn't be cheap. Unlikely to happen imo.